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Leg Post 86
Leg Post 86 opens in the year 900,000BC with Adai Theos entertaining several Antediluvians aboard an Atlantean Airship as they cross the Atlantic Channel to Antediluvia itself. He is joined by the golden-skinned Borean, Benem, of Hyperborea. They are witness to the bullying tactics of Cercyon Eleusis, the magistrate for Antediluvia after it was conquered by the Atlantean Empire. As son of Poseidon, the God of Oceans, Cercyon can manipulate water molecules and he made one of the Antedilvians very thirsty. Only after a lot of pleading from the man and bulling from Cercyon and his cronies, did the magistrate release him in a torrent of water over his head. His daughter, Alope Eleusis, led the man away to be taken care of. Some while later and Adai and Benem are aboard an Atleantean Cruiseship. While Adai is forced to explain the difference between fairies and human children to Benem, Poseidon himself suddenly appears on the ship to greet his son. They find Alope in the pool, who appears embarrassed by Poseidon's presence. After it's revealed that Alope had been meeting Poseidon, her grandfather, secretly in her home in Atlantis, Cercyon is suspicous but Poseidon moves him on. Later that night, Adai is in his cabin alone when Alope appears and introduces herself. She asks if he plans to return to Atlantis as she urgently requires passage and cannot depart alone, lest it appear suspicious to her father. Adai initially turns her down but feels guilty and calls her back. He agrees that he and Benem would return to Atlantis to help her. While board the return airship, Benem tries to learn a boardgame, while Alope opens up to Adai that she was coerced into sex by her grandfather. A month later and Adai is showing Benem around the Holy District of Atlantis when a drone hologram arrives and a message from Alope requests him urgently. They arrive at the address to find her apartment in a state of disarray. They then discover a boy hiding in a closet and discover him to be Hippothoon Eleusis, the son of Alope and Poseidon. He relates that his mother was taken by people working for her father, Cercyon, and that he was to go with "Mr Theo". Adai, Benem and Hippothoon arrive in Antediluvia to seek out Alope. They find the police, who had arrested her on the orders of Cercyon, when she was brought to the continent. An officer guides them far out of the settlement, up the hills, to a cottage. Adai makes the mistake of thinking she is in the cottage, but it becomes apparant that Alope was executed on her father's command - via being buried alive. Adai took Hippothoon and Benem to his secret island, Morchazima, where his wife is entombed. Hippothoon couldn't be revealed to the Atlantean Council as Cercyon's wife may attempt to kill the boy. Benem is pleased to visit the island but he admits he misses his close connection to God, the Hyperborean deity, and would leave soon. Into the distant future, the year 1198BC, Adai Theos, under his new name of Aman Tabiz, arrives back on Morchazima with these memories in his mind. He has brought the Oceanic Cornucopia, stolen in Leg Post 85 from Achelous, and life sprang up all around the island, which he thought would be a fine addition to his wife's shrine. Post The Role of Antediluvia The banquet was in full swing. Platters of beautifully cooked meats and vegetables were laid out across the long banqueting table. Servants were hurrying around with fresh plates and glasses and bottles, replacing used up trays or half-drunk cups. Conversations were loud and merry as the red wine was guzzled away by the guests. The smell of food was overwhelming and the heat from the cooked dishes grew intense so the windows were opened to let cold, clean in and hot, pungent air out. The noise of the airship’s engines increased, but the clamour of voices drowned it out all the same. The gondola’s walls were all windows, now partially opened, and displayed the striking view of the cloudy sky high above Antediluvia. The airship had travelled across the narrow channel known as the Atlantic Channel from its home depot in Atlantis. With a few dignitaries from Atlantis, the rest of the passengers were Antediluvians. Their heavy accents were heard brashly against the more practised Atlanteans, whose language had been declared the new national language over the conquered territory. Children were now being taught Atlantean at schools, though they still commonly spoke their own native language when at home with their parents. This led to a lot of entertainment for Atlanteans who liked to joke and criticise the poor pronunciation of the Antediluvians. Aboard the airship, however, the Antediluvians were in the majority and their broad accents were prevalent. Towards one end of the table was the man known as Adai Theos. His rich, brown skin was weathered but stretched youthfully across his strong physique. His hair was dark and thick and worn long, in the common style of the Atlantean elite. He was regaling a group of young Antediluvian men with one of his many, many stories and thrilled in their rapturous attentions. He enjoyed the company of these rougher people. Aside from them being much more easily enthralled by his presence, their lack of sophistication met his more boisterous nature. Centuries ago he had paraded around the humans like a peacock, wearing the grandest of fashions and paving the way for high culture and elegance. But as he grew older, and the elegance of nobles became less and less comprehensible, he began to eschew that which he had created and drew on his more down-to-earth side. He became the resident ruffian at many parties and began his own counter-culture trend where it became ‘cool’ for the elite to downplay their wealth and status with expensive ‘poor people clothes’ and utilise slang words borrowed from the uneducated masses. Adai Theos: “And then I made a mountain!” Dubious Antediluvian: “You made a mountain? How?” Adai Theos: “I pulled it up!” Dubious Antediluvian: “… with your hands I suppose?” Adai Theos: “Don’t you know I’m super strong?” He grinned at the other men and flexed his arm. They all gave a good chortle. Dubious Antediluvian: “Okay, absurdity of that aside, why?” Adai Theos: “Why what?” Dubious Antediluvian: “Why pull up a mountain? What was the point?” Adai Theos: “Because… why not?” Dubious Antediluvian: “Why a mountain?” Adai Theos: “What do you mean?” Dubious Antediluvian: “Why make a mountain? Why not something else?” Adai Theos: “Because… mountains are impressive!” Dubious Antediluvian: “They’re just stacked rock where the plates have pushed together. Nothing impressive about it. Even less, they’re useless. Where you planning to sit on the top of it or something? What did you do with it?” Adai Theos: “Well, I didn’t really think about it at the time. It just seemed cool and impressive.” Dubious Antediluvian: “It isn’t, and it wasn’t. It’s just stupid and unrealistic and doesn’t make any sense.” Adai Theos: “Hey now. Who’s telling the story here, me or you?” He turned to the other men. Adai Theos: “He’s not a secret Atlantean, is he? This guy is way too serious to be hanging around with you lot.” The men had a good laugh at their rational friend’s expense while he just rolled his eyes at the nonsensical fabrications of their Atlantean guest. He was more interested in the golden-skinned friend of Adai Theos, who was seated next to the human with wide, expectant eyes. Benem, the Borean, was very interested in the odd behaviour of the fleshy people around him, which was all quite alien to him. When the banquet had first been served up, Benem had been extremely surprised to find nothing but dead things laid before him. Adai Theos had to explain that, unlike a Borean banquet, humans ate things. Boreans, conversely, sampled experiences at their banquets. Smells, colours, shapes and sounds would be magicked into existence by God, the grand sphere at the heart of Hyperborea, for them to try. Taste was certainly a common experience, but he had never tasted actual food before. He was eating endlessly, which started to worry the sceptical Antediluvian deeply until Adai Theos explained that the food wasn’t going anywhere because Benem had no real biological stomach. Oddly enough the rational Antediluvian was more convinced by this than Adai’s own tall-tales, which lacked not only credulity but also reason. ‘Coolness’ was not a good enough reason, so far as he was concerned. Other Antediluvian: “So Benem! Do you have a girlfriend?” Benem: “I have friends who take on the form of girls, yes!” This garnered a lot of laughter from the humans around him, much to the polite bemusement of Benem. Other Antediluvian: “And what are Borean women like? Are they hot? I bet they’re hot!” Benem: “No, we don’t actually generate body heat.” More laughter. Benem: “We can feel heat if we want to! Hyperborea is usually maintained at a stable temperature though, enough to keep the ice out.” The more boisterous Antediluvian was wiping a tear from his eye. Other Antediluvian: “What a made world we live in.” Adai Theos grinned at that and nodded assuringly. Adai Theos: “Truer words have never been spoken!” There was a sudden ruckus from down the table that excelled even the usual tumult of the table. There, at the head of the table, was the host for the banquet. The appointed magistrate for Antediluvia, Cercyon Eleusis. Plans to insert an Atlantean into the role of magistrate over the region had been scrapped for fears of a rebellion against the new regime, so instead they employed one of their own in the guise of the strapping Cercyon. In the early years of his reign, the man had proven well-suited to the position. He had been fair and gentle with most issues presented to him but firm on matters of treachery against the Atlantean Empire. This pleased the Atlantean Council greatly and Cercyon found immense favour amongst the political elite of the empire. His father was the deity known as Poseidon. As son to the God of the Oceans, Cercyon had inherited many superhuman qualities that gave him physical dominance over his fellow humans. Not only was his immensely strong and very agile, he had some control over water particles that enabled him to manipulate not only large bodies of water but also the moisture within the bodies of others. He was well known as a prankster and his age-old trick was to render someone at the table illimitably thirsty, no matter how much they drank either of wine or water. Thirsty Antediluvian: “It’s not funny any more! Please stop it!” Cercyon Eleusis: “Stop what!?” Many laughed at the misfortune of the miserably thirsty man. Some laughed with genuine mirth, others laughed with pity as they remembered being subjected to the joke once too. Thirsty Antediluvian: “You know damn well what!” Cercyon just laughed harder. Mirthful Antediluvian: “Are you gonna cry? Oh wait-!” Thunderous laughter resounded through the room. The servants were mostly lower class Antediluvians whose grasp of the Atlantean language was rudimentary and mostly limited to the requests that would be barked at them. When they failed to understand, they were normally berated with common phrase “po’idot” that derived from ‘poor idiot’, commenting on both their lack of wealth and education. They continued to run around the guests mutely and without reaction to the increasingly rowdy patrons. Thirsty Antediluvian: “You buffoon! Stop it! Leave me alone!” Cercyon Eleusis: “Buffoon is it!? Can’t you do better than that!?” Some of those laughing were laughing with the most manic of malicious grins and even pointed straight at the parched man. The man’s plight was bringing immense joy to the closest friends of the magistrate, who were used to the display. Thirsty Antediluvian: “Am I the only one going to stand up to this cretin!?” The tiniest silence followed, which ended with more glee and even a few knee slaps. Mirthful Antediluvian: “Oh no! He has no friends! And still he can’t cry!” Thirsty Antediluvian: “You asshat! Whoever made you a magistrate must be blind!” Cercyon Eleusis: “Hey now! That’s my wife you’re talking about!” Mirthful Antediluvian: “You’re in for it now!” Cercyon Eleusis: “Fight me, bro!” His friends built up the chant: “Fight! Fight! Fight!” Thirsty Antediluvian: “You must be joking!” The men around Adai Theos and Benem also joined in the chant, happy to get a spectacle. Only the dubious Antediluvian seemed unimpressed and he was wise enough to keep his head down. Benem was baffled by the scene before him while Adai kept a quiet, though uncomfortable, smile. Cercyon jumped to his feet and roared to the guests. With their applause he swept up a goblet of wine and poured it into his mouth, spilling most of it over his fine clothes and onto the food on his plate. One of his friends leaned over to try to catch some in his own mouth below. Another then excitedly shook his friend so that the wine splashed further still. Cercyon Eleusis: “C’mon then, ya worm! Get up!” Thirsty Antediluvian: “This is absolutely stupid. I’m not playing this game with you.” Cercyon Eleusis: “Uuuuup!” Between him and his friends, they got the unfortunate man to his feet. The friends shoved the man into a clearer space where Cercyon joined him. The man stood, downcast and humiliated. He held the elbow of his other arm and stared at the floor, sullenly. Cercyon Eleusis: “Okay. Come at me, bro! I’ll give you first punch!” The big man spread his arms openly. More laughter followed as they all knew there was zero chance the small, dehydrated man could harm the superpowered demi-god. Cercyon was always careful to keep his chiselled face smooth and soft, displaying the angular chin and sharp cheekbones of a handsome man. His hair was short and blonde, much in the style of an Antediluvian, and shaved closely around the ears but longer from the crown. His bright blue eyes were as fierce as the oceans his father commanded. His opponent was short, balding and pug-faced. ‘Punchable’ would be the word Cercyon used to describe such a face. Cercyon Eleusis: “Come on, bro, this is your chance! I tell you what. Land a hit and I’ll give you all the water you want!” Thirsty Antediluvian: “I am not going to fight you. Please just stop this.” Cercyon Eleusis: “Don’t be such a sissy! Come on! This’ll toughen you up!” Cercyon was suddenly on the man and grabbed him in a headlock. He held it for just a moment, getting himself a few cheers from his fans, before he then knocked the man over and wrapped him up in a few wrestling locks. Mirthful Antediluvian: “Careful, Cercyon! He might get a bit too excited!” Lots of laughs. Eventually, after a lot of rolling around, Cercyon got bored of knocking the weak man around and drew himself to his feet. There was an applause while the dejected man glared at the floor in silent anger embarrassment. Cercyon Eleusis: “Come on, bro! Just a bit of fun! Here’s the water you wanted!” The water molecules in the air suddenly slapped to a single point above the miserable man and, in less than two second, a large bubble of water had formed and burst and rained upon him. Adai sucked on his teeth while everyone else laughed. A couple of servants showed up to start drying the floor around the man. Adai noticed a young woman speak to another servant and soon the formerly thirsty man was quietly led away by servants while the rest of the guests forgot about him. Though he would likely remember it for the rest of his life. The young woman seated herself back down and glanced down the table at Adai, Benem and the dubious Antediluvian – the only people not merrymaking by this point. Adai had a certain skill with faces and he instantly knew she was related to Cercyon himself and he was certain she was probably the man’s daughter. Dubious Antediluvian: “That’s Alope Eleusis. She’s the magistrate’s daughter. She has a more empathic head on her shoulders than her father.” She had the same set chin that looked rugged and handsome on the father but elegant and graceful on the daughter. Her hair was equally blonde and, like most Antediluvians whether male or female, she had short hair. She had not inherited the oceanic eyes of Poseidon, however, and instead got her green eyes from her mother. She had decorated the side of her face with a painted pattern of lines and stars that went further down the body than Adai ought to consider. Adai Theos: “Well now I think I know what kind of an experience we’re in for during this visit…” Benem: “Can you tell me why that man made the other man do something he did not want to do?” Adai sighed. Adai Theos: “Because he’s a bully, Benem.” Two months later and Adai Theos and his friend Benem were still enjoying their tour of Antediluvia. Because the Atlanteans were lazy, they used the term Antediluvia to describe both the continent and the civilisation; the same as using Atlantis for their own civilisation and continent. The occupied region of the continent was small and contained to the east, while the rest of the gigantic landmass was ripe for exploration and adventuring. A cruise ship was cutting through the sea’s waves with the two males onboard, along with their old friends from the airship tour. The cruise ship was merrily sailing along the coast of Antediluvia and spotting for wildlife. There were also several ‘prospectors’ onboard. Since the acquisition of Antediluvia, Atlantis had found that there weren’t many other civilisations within conquering distance and yet there was still a lot of land to be occupied. To this end they set their sets on colonisation, spreading their people and culture away from their homelands and into parts unknown. There was still a lot of the Antediluvian continent left uninhabited, but there were also lands further south where the climate was much warmer. The current glacial period meant that the northern lands were frozen over, including the northernmost reaches of the Atlantean continent (which would later separate from the main continent during the Great Calamity and form the island of Great Britain). Magitech was crucial to the survival of those Atlanteans in the northern lands and after decades of rule, the Antediluvians were finding the benefits of this magitech too. Adai Theos and Benem were lounging by the pool. Some guests were too proud to splash about in the water, while others were excessive in their challenges for attention to their bare bodies. Several men acted like children and leapt into the pool in a competition for the biggest splash. As Adai watched with amusement he spotted a woman slip into the pool at the far end. She flinched at the coolness of the liquid, which made Adai chuckle. Adai Theos: “There’s that Alope girl. The magistrate’s daughter.” Benem: “Is it? I don’t remember her.” Adai Theos: “You barely remember me, Benem. It can’t be that difficult to tell us all apart.” Benem: “I’m just not used to recognising people by sight. It really can’t be helped. At least I could tell you apart from that crowd yesterday.” Adai Theos: “They were all children.” Benem: “Yes! I could tell that! They were very small. So I could see which was you.” Adai Theos: “The height alone gave me away?” Benem: “That, and your deep voice.” Adai Theos: “My voice is not that deep. Children just have high-pitched voices!” Benem: “Oh, I see. I thought they might be fairies.” Adai Theos: “Fairies are even smaller!” Benem: “Yes, I thought they were unusually tall fairies.” Adai Theos: “Fairies also have wings.” Benem: “Unusually tall fairies with their wings mutilated by savage animals!” Adai Theos: “You’re not talking about your supposed cats again, are you? I’m telling you, they weren’t cats. Cats aren’t that big.” Benem: “You weren’t there. You didn’t see them.” Adai Theos: “Cats cannot eat a full grown human, Benem.” Benem: “You didn’t see it. I’m telling you, it was a cat.” Adai Theos: “If you can’t tell fairies apart from children, I’m sure you mistook a bear or something for a cat.” Benem: “You think you know everything, Adai.” Adai Theos grinned. Adai Theos: “Whatever I don’t know, isn’t worth knowing!” Benem: “Maybe you’ll change that statement when you’re a bit older.” Adai Theos: “Because I’m not already old?” Benem: “I find that a lot of beings who live for very long cycles are usually much slower to mature and grow.” Adai Theos: “Does this include you?” He said this accusingly. Benem: “I suppose so? I don’t really know. Boreans don’t experience existence in the same physical manner that you do. I have seen some truly powerful beings, able to exist on multiple planes of existence and through space-time. Yet they still act like fleshy things with brains encased in bone.” Adai glanced at Benem’s skull and his own brain wanted to recoil in horror at the thought of there being nothing inside there. He decided to avoid an uncomfortable discussion about brainless, yet sapient, creatures and went back to observing the people in the pool. There was a sudden shout that grabbed their attention and from the other side of the pool came a large-bodied man wearing a wide grin. Poseidon: “My son!” Cercyon: “Dad! You old scallywag! What’re you doing here!?” The two big men bro-hugged and gave each other firm slaps on the back. Adai considered himself a rather masculine man but he had never understood the need to hit someone you like. He glanced at Benem and considered giving him a smack on the back too, but the alien could read this action as anything from an unprovoked attack to a sexual overture – both of which would probably delight him immensely as an impending ‘human experience’. Poseidon: “I was in the area. I was about to make a fun little tidal wave but I sensed you were onboard, so I thought I’d come up and crash your party. How’re you doing, my boy? Magistrate of some kingdom, I hear?” The two men engaged in a quieter conversation for a few minutes as they slowly strolled around the pool. Benem: “Isn’t that one of your supposed gods?” Adai Theos: “Not mine! But yes, he’s a god. I don’t really understand religion.” Benem: “Me neither.” Adai Theos: “Aren’t you, basically, an extension of your God?” Benem: “That’s precisely the problem. I don’t have faith or worship or… whatever religion is. Why would I worship something that already knows I exist and needs no worship? These creatures, like this one, need to be fed with faith and love, but I do not know why. I think it is just for the purpose of congratulating their ego.” Adai Theos thought of the WriterGod, and he thought of the three cosmic deities that had created him. Adai Theos: “I think you might be right.” Benem: “Oh really?” Adai Theos: “You’re surprised?” Benem: “I doubted I understood the point of religion and you would enlighten me. How disappointing.” Adai Theos: “You’re disappointed that I think you’re right? I have never heard anyone say such a thing in my entire, long, life.” Benem: “Being wrong is how I learn. If I’m right, I didn’t learn anything, I just had my thoughts confirmed.” Adai Theos: “I admire you, you know? Always striving to learn.” Benem spread his palms towards the crowd of people. Benem: “I have such interesting teachers! Without humans, I guess I will find something else to do.” Adai looked again at the people. He found it difficult to see what Benem saw in them. He mostly saw children. Sometimes they were fun to be around. He liked to impress them. But he doubted he could ever learn anything from them. He had seen and experienced so much more than any of them. What could they possibly teach him? Cercyon: “Alope!” Alope: “Oh! Father!” Adai noticed how Alope had suddenly, quite sharply, became shy and disturbed. She hung her head from her father’s gaze. He thought it odd since she had been very open with him aboard the airship. He looked from her to Poseidon and wondered if she was one of the religious kind that Benem was talking about. Cercyon: “Come now, Alope! Don’t you recognise your grandfather!? It wasn’t that long ago you last saw him, surely!?” Poseidon: “No worries, Cercyon! We know each other very well!” He grinned, Adai thought, like a cat with a mouse. Alope stiffened and her stare was squarely aimed at the sandals of her father. Cercyon: “Oh? I didn’t know about this! You met in Atlantis, I suppose?” Alope: “That’s right. Posei—grandfather comes to visit my apartment sometimes.” Cercyon: “I suppose that’s good! I can’t believe you never mentioned it though!” Alope: “Well—” Poseidon: “Come now, son! What happens in Atlantis, stays in Atlantis! Isn’t that what they say?” He laughed loudly and led Cercyon by the shoulder, away from Alope. The magistrate, however, cast a frown back at his daughter before he continued on. Alope’s eyes were wide with panic and she grit her teeth. Nobody was paying her any attention, save for Adai, so she just stood there, in the pool, like a water-logged statue. Later that night, Adai was in his cabin. He had a pipe lit up with a whiff of blue smoke trailing out of the window into the cool night air. A small music player was pumping out gentle tunes, using a small tank of vril to power it. The vril bubbled away energetically, the bass of the song keeping rhythm with the pounding bubbles. A new, light, pounding joined the beat. At first he thought it was the music, but when the knock repeated he realised it was the door. He speculated that Benem got himself into trouble with another passenger, again, and needed to be rescued. He pushed a button on the wall and the door slid open with a smooth hiss. He found himself looking into the wide, green eyes of Alope Eleusis. He blinked with some surprise. Alope: “Are you Mr Theos?” Adai Theos: “That’s correct.” Alope: “I’m Alope Eleusis. It’s a pleasure to meet you.” Adai Theos: “Yes, I know who you are. What can I do for you?” Alope: “I was hoping you might help me. May I come in?” Adai Theos: “Oh. Yes. I suppose so… I mean, yes, of course.” He stepped back and sat upon the sofa of his cabin. The sofa could be transformed into a bed, should the need arise, but the room was already equipped with its own, separate bed and he was a single man, travelling alone. Benem originally wanted to share, but since he didn’t sleep, Adai refused. Last time they did that, he woke to find Benem staring at his nostrils. Apparently, they flared during sleep and this was fascinating to the Borean. What had followed was a day of discussion on all the little nuances of Adai’s bodily functions during sleep mode. Alope: “Thank you.” She sat down on the sofa, exactly where he had been sitting himself. He didn’t feel comfortable sitting next to this intruder and there were no other seats available, so he stood next to the door and didn’t move. Alope: “I believe that you reside in Atlantis, is that true?” Adai Theos: “Yes…” Alope: “And when do you plan to return there?” Adai frowned. Adai Theos: “This is a little personal. Can we skip the small talk and get to the point? I don’t like having strange ladies in my bedchambers so late at night. Sorry for being so rude. It’s just how I feel.” Alope: “Oh! I’m sorry! I honestly didn’t think—I just need someone to help me get back to Atlantis as soon as possible. If you were travelling soon, then I was hoping I could accompany you?” Adai Theos: “Okay… I see… why do you need to go with someone? You’re rich, I believe, you could afford to get a flight alone.” Alope: “That would—” She hesitated. Alope: “Look suspicious. If I’m travelling with someone of renown, such as yourself, then it would appear quite reasonable that I should go back to Atlantis so suddenly.” Adai Theos: “And why do you need to go back so suddenly? And why would it look suspicious for you to go alone?” Alope sighed with frustration. Alope: “It’s private, Mr Theos. Just know, you would be doing me a great service if I could travel with you.” Adai Theos: “I wasn’t planning on going back to Atlantis for some time. I’m travelling with my friend and he wants to ‘see the sights’, so he says.” Alope: “Then I have wasted my time, yet again.” She sighed again, this time with resignation. Alope: “I’m really sorry to have troubled you, Mr Theos. I didn’t mean to cause you any discomfort.” She rose and gave him a bow. He flipped the switch and the door slid open to let her out. He watched her back as she left, though her words still turned in his mind. The door clicked shut and he ran a hand through his hair. Guilt. He groaned at himself and opened the door again. He stuck his head out and saw the retreating figure of Alope down the corridor. Adai Theos: “Ms Eleusis!” She spun with a jump, startled by her own name. He beckoned her back into his cabin and went inside. He waited just a minute before she reappeared. He saw her eyes were red where she had quickly rubbed tears away. That only confirmed that he was about to get himself involved in something he should leave alone, but he couldn’t ignore the matter, even if he wanted to. Adai Theos: “I can make arrangements to return to Atlantis. My friend will probably be a little disappointed that he won’t get to see more fish, but he likes Atlantis too, so he’ll soon get over it.” Alope breathed out a long, released breath and, though she tried not to, a gulp of sorrow blurted from her mouth and tears flowed down her cheeks. Alope: “Thank you! Thank you, Mr Theos! I’m so sorry, I’m not usually like this! Normally I would never ask or accept such a favour from someone, even if I know them well, but I truly am desperate. From the bottom of my heart, I am honestly tremendously grateful for your kindness, Mr Theos.” Adai Theos: “I… well, you’re welcome. I’m sorry, I’m not much of an orator unless I’m telling stories.” Alope: “Your friend. Are you sure—did you say fish?” Adai Theos: “The best word to describe my friend is ‘quirky’.” Alope: “Right. I’m not sure if I could provide… fish… but I will find a way to repay you both. Tickets to exclusive theatres or clubs or restaurants, I can procure them! I know you are well known already, but I am sure I can introduce you to many fine nobles to enhance your prestige.” Theos found that a little amusing. His own fame tended to grow and ebb over the centuries. Sometimes he was the most famous of celebrities, other times he was the most lowly of commoners. He preferred not to be in the spotlight, but he had to confess that the most useful people were often basking in the limelight with all the power to make change happen. Adai Theos: “No need of a reward, Ms Eleusis. You seem genuinely distressed and that’s enough for me. We’ll catch a flight in the morning. Is that suitable?” Alope: “It is. I shall pack my things immediately. Thank you again.” When she left, her spirits clearly renewed, Theos slumped onto the sofa. He picked up his pipe and turned the music back on. He leant his head back and closed his heavy eyes. Alope: “I’m ashamed of myself, Adai. I truly am.” They were sat in the small common room that linked the four bedrooms. The only airship available was a standard commercial class vessel, so a dormitory style system was in place. They were lucky enough to get the expensive dormitory, so they all had separate rooms and shared only a common room. He wouldn’t have minded a standard room, sharing a bedroom with some strangers, but he was horrified what Benem might get up to. The fourth bedroom for their domicile was empty, so the three of them had the room to themselves. Benem was trying to learn a boardgame. The pieces were all in front of him and a hologram was seated opposite him. It was set to tutorial mode and it kept teaching him the rules, but, in true Benem fashion, he couldn’t understand why the rules existed. Benem: “But I can put the piece here.” Tutorial Hologram: “That is against the rules. You must role the dice first.” Benem: “But why should I do that if I can just put it here? Watch.” He moved the piece to the goal. Benem: “I win!” Tutorial Hologram: “You are disqualified. You broke the rules. You must roll the dice.” Benem: “But it is easier to just put it here. Why should I roll dice? That will take longer to get there.” Adai rolled his eyes and turned back to Alope. Adai Theos: “I admit, I’ve never been in your position, Alope. So I can’t really comment on who you should or shouldn’t be with.” Alope: “But I—He was so… it was like I didn’t have a choice!” Adai Theos frowned with sudden seriousness. Alope: “I mean… he didn’t… but I felt like… he was always there. He always pressured me and he’s a god, so…” Adai could imagine such a man as Poseidon coercing people into doing things they didn’t want to do. The more he learnt of these gods, the less he liked them. It made him look at himself and reflect on his own behaviour. He was stronger, more powerful and more knowledgeable than anyone else around him. Had he used that strength to his advantage over others? With great power, comes great responsibility, someone called Uncle BenBenjamin "Ben" Parker article, Wikipedia. once told him. Why people called him Uncle was anyone’s guess because he certainly wasn’t Adai’s uncle. Adai Theos: “Do you plan to run from your father forever?” Alope: “I really don’t know. I don’t know what I’m supposed to do. I just kept it all quiet and look how that turned out…” Benem: “Those are bad numbers. I should roll the dice to get better numbers!” Tutorial Hologram: “That is against the rules.” Benem: “But why? If I need to get around the board as quickly as possible and I must use dice, then I should get good numbers! If they’re bad, I should try again until they are good!” Tutorial Hologram: “That is… My programming cannot keep up with this…” Most of the streets of Atlantis were narrow as they were designed only for walking and not for large vehicles. The streets around the grand temple, however, were very wide boulevards. They were designed not only for the additional foot traffic that the temple attracted, but also for the decorative view that the temple would provide – wider streets meant wider views. Benem: “What is the purpose of this temple?” Adai Theos: “It’s for worshipping the WriterGod.” Benem: “WriterGod? Is that a god of writers, then?” Adai Theos: “Yes?” He answered tentatively. Benem: “Then why are all these non-writers worshipping it?” Adai Theos: “I think I’m not qualified to answer this question.” Benem: “That is disappointing.” Adai Theos: “You know, I don’t know everything, right?” Benem: “I have learnt that, yes. It is quite inconvenient. But I suppose being limited by a brain will do that.” Adai Theos: “You think brains are limiting?” Benem: “They only have a certain amount of storage capacity, you know? Eventually old knowledge will need to be overwritten.” Adai Theos: “That is… I had never thought of that.” He realised he might have to consider that one day. How many memories could his brain hold? Had he already forgotten important memories? He may have forgotten days or weeks or months or years or even more and he didn’t notice because he didn’t remember! Benem: “Oh look. Isn’t that one of those hologram machines?” Whizzing past the white-spired cityscape was a small drone. Its propellers whirred and a small cloud of magic vapour puffed out behind it in a long, thin trail. It stopped before them - much to Adai’s surprise because nobody ever sent him mail – and proceeded to activate. A holographic woman appeared. Alope: “Help me, Adai Theos! You’re my only hope!” Adai Theos: “If she didn’t seem so sincere, I’d think this was a joke.” Benem: “Who was that?” Adai Theos: “Alope Eleusis. The woman we spent several weeks with, remember?” Benem: “Oh! Yes. I thought she was that priest you introduced me to.” Adai frowned. Adai Theos: “You mean the old man?” Benem: “That was a man?” Adai Theos: “The beard.” Benem squinted at the hologram. Benem: “Oh yes! You’re right! This one has no beard! That’s a keen observation! I will keep that in mind in future. Beard or no beard! I’m sure I will recognise her next time.” Adai Theos: “Yes, but just because someone has no beard, doesn’t mean that they are definitely Alope…” Benem: “Good point. I suppose this will not be so easy after all…” Adai Theos: “We had better go. There’s an address written on the hologram. It must be her apartment. She doesn’t live far from here. Impressive to live in the holy district.” They worked their way along the streets. Adai had to pull Benem away from interesting things, such as sewer pipes and cockroaches, to hurry to their destination. They had to take a short cut across the outer grounds of the Basilica Numenaedes, to which he cast a dubious glance and thought of the WriterGod. The apartment building wasn’t far away and when they arrived they found it to be a grandiose affair. The peak of it was a tall, white spire that pointed to the sky like a needle. The walls were painted white and were curved in cylindrical towers. They used the elevator to reach her floor, but when they found her apartment the door was already open. Adai Theos: “Hello?” Benem: “Hello.” Adai Theos: “I wasn’t talking to you, Benem.” Benem: “Oh. But there’s nobody else here.” Adai Theos: “I know that now!” The apartment might have been a luscious and decorative site once but was now a mess. Everything was smashed up and ruined. Plants, water tanks, furniture – all broken. They trod carefully through the domicile and listened intently. Benem: “This is a very unusual taste in décor. I don’t think I’ve seen anyone else with such fashion in their homes before.” Adai decided a long conversation would follow if he tried to explain the situation to Benem, so he decided to just remain quiet. Adai went from room to room until he reached a small room, which appeared to be a bedroom, towards the back of the luxury apartment. He heard a faint noise from the walk-in-wardrobe and he carefully approached it. He hoped it was Alope in there and not an intruder, though he wasn’t sure why an intruder would be hiding in the closet. He thrust it open. He was met by a terrible scream. Adai Theos: “Alo--!? Who’re you?” The boy stared up at Adai with panic-stricken eyes that were filled with tears. Adai Theos: “Where’s Alope?” Boy: “Are you the police?” Adai Theos: “Let’s say yes.” Boy: “They came. They took her! They hit her!” Adai Theos: “Who did? Did you recognise them?” Boy: “No, but she said granddad sent them to take her away and made me stay in here.” Adai closed his eyes. The boy was her son and he had a good guess who the boy’s father was. Adai Theos: “I’ll see if I can find her. When the police arrive, they’ll take care of you.” Adai turned to leave but the boy was suddenly on his feet. Boy: “Wait! Wait! Are you Mr Theo!? Mum said I need to go with Mr Theo if I’m in trouble!” Adai groaned. He knew helping Alope was going to land him into more trouble than he needed. He slowly turned and looked down at the kid. He was around eight years old and he had the same, big, green eyes that his mother had and not the blue oceanic eyes of Cercyon. A big part of him wanted to turn and walk away and forget all of this. The petty troubles of individual humans was not his business and there were many of them all over the planet. Humans had evolved their own set of social problems and every generation, in every nation had them. Alope and her son would be forgotten in a hundred years. Even mighty Cercyon would eventually be forgotten about by time. Helping the boy would be pointless in the long run. The world wouldn’t care. Adai Theos: “What’s your name, boy?” Boy: “Hippothoon. Hippothoon Eleusis.” Benem: “That’s a funny-sounding name.” Hippothoon: “It’s my name! It’s not funny!” The boy wanted to stand up for himself now, as though it would make up for hiding before. Adai Theos: “You’d best come with me.” They waited for the police to arrive outside the apartment complex and Hippothoon related his tale in detail. The police appeared to make a great deal of effort on the boy’s behalf but Adai wanted to make his own efforts. He searched high and low and drew on information from his fellows. He eventually discovered that Alope had been taken aboard a private airship several hours ago and he alerted the police so that they could arrest the kidnappers when the airship landed in Antediluvia. He booked passage on another airship so that they could meet Alope on the continent. Adai Theos: “This seems very far out from the city. Are you sure you know where you’re going?” Antediluvian Guide: “Yes, yes. This way.” He had made the simple request that he wanted to see Alope Eleusis at the police station and one of the younger officers agreed to take him to her. Adai, Benem and Hippothoon followed the officer long out of the town where she had landed. Their passage had taken a few days, first by airship and then by roads that were drawn within the kingdom. Now they went by foot. The land began to get steeper, forming grassy hills. Adai Theos: “Are you joking with us? You won’t like me when I’m angry.” Antediluvian Guide: “No? Why would I be joking with you? I think that would be unprofessional! I take my duty very seriously, Mr Theos.” Hippothoon reached out and grasped Adai’s hand. Initially he tried to withdraw his palm from the boy’s, but the child held fast and so he relented. Antediluvian Guide: “Here she is.” Down the hill was a small cottage. It was small, tidy and even pretty. A light plume of smoke drifted from the chimney, created the old-fashioned way with fossil fuels rather than magitech. The windows were tinted out to conceal whoever was inside. Adai Theos: “How long has she been here?” Antediluvian Guide: “I think she was brought up here as soon as she landed, sir. The magistrate himself showed up.” Adai Theos: “A couple of days then?” Antediluvian Guide: “I’d say so.” Adai Theos: “Has she been taken care of?” Antediluvian Guide: “What do you mean?” Adai Theos: “Has she been treated well?” The officer hesitated with some confusion. Antediluvian Guide: “I’m not entirely sure I understand what you’re trying to suggest, Mr Theos. Everything was done as respectfully as possible, I suppose. The magistrate was irate though and they got into a very nasty confrontation. Lots of shouting. But it’s not our duty to get involved. We don’t make the laws, the magistrate does. There were a lot of holograms with the Atlantean police, I recall. Initially they were keen on chasing the lady down, but in the end the Atlantean government ordered them down, I believe. I think the magistrate must have pulled a few strings with his wife. She’s one of the councillors, you know?” Adai Theos: “Yes I know. Okay.” He started down the hill towards the cottage. Antediluvian Guide: “Hold on! Where do you think you’re going? You can’t go in there!” Adai was struggling to keep his anger in check. Adai Theos: “I go where I please!” He caught himself and forced his temper to simmer down. He realised that he might have become that which he had criticised and used his strength against someone weaker than him. Antediluvian Guide: “Now, Mr Theos! I’ll ask you to remember that you speak to an officer of the law. Sanctioned by the council. You can’t just go wandering into the digger’s home without permission.” Adai Theos: “Digger’s home? Why is Alope being kept in there?” Antediluvian Guide: “What? She’s not! What do you mean?” Adai’s anger began to resurface. Adai Theos: “I am here to see Alpoe Eleusis! I want to see her this instant!” Antediluvian Guide: “See her? You can’t—oh. Oh. I see there seems to be some misunderstanding…” Adai Theos: “What do you mean?” The officer stepped back from the hill. Antediluvian Guide: “Her sentence was carried out without delay, Mr Theos…” They looked down at the hill. Signs of digging could be seen. Adai Theos: “She was… she’s been… executed?” Hippothoon wailed, startling the officer. Antediluvian Guide: “Well… yes. In a manner of speaking.” Adai Theos: “And what does that mean?” Antediluvian Guide: “Orders from the council were very exact on the sentence. She was…” The man hesitated, very uncomfortable with the unexpected position he found himself in. Antediluvian Guide: “Well, she was buried.” Adai frowned, thinking ‘of course she was buried’. That’s the only respectful way to deal with the dead. The officer saw that thought cross the man’s face and clarified, carefully. Antediluvian Guide: “Alive.” Adai Theos: “Wh-what!? She’s still--!” He made to leap at the ground and claw at the dirt but the officer put his hand upon Adai’s chest. Antediluvian Guide: “Sir, I am very sorry. As I said, it’s been days.” Adai felt a hollowness form in his chest. He looked at the boy. Hippothoon was wailing and wailing for his mother. Adai Theos: “They never cease to disappoint me, Benem. Humans.” Benem: “You are human.” Adai Theos: “It’s hard to remember that.” They alighted on the soft beachhead. Their boat was a light vessel designed for short-range journeys. They had taken a ferry across the ocean from Antediluvia and then disembarked with their own, small boat. Adai didn’t want anyone else to set foot on his precious, secret island. The trees were tall and ancient and was filled with dodo birds, who couldn’t fly away from the small island. He led Benem and Hippothoon through the forest until they finally reached a small, stone building. Adai Theos: “I built this… well, I built it a long time ago.” Benem: “For your wife?” Adai nodded slowly. It was strange that time did not seem to ease the pain of this loss. Adai Theos: “This is her shrine. There are rooms here though. I will have to think about expanding it since we’ll be staying here a while. Benem, you can stay as long as you want to too.” Benem: “I might stay for some time. But I do miss the proximity of God. I will leave one day, I believe.” Adai Theos: “Anytime. Hippothoon. This is your home now. You are free here.” Hippothoon: “Are there any other kids?” Adai scoffed. Adai Theos: “Of course not! There’s no one here but us!” Hippothoon: “Who will I make friends with?” Adai Theos: “Me?” Hippothoon rolled his eyes but he didn’t seem to be in good spirits. It had been over a month since they found Alope buried on the hill in Antediluvia. More time would need to pass to mend that wound. If ever it did. He and the boy could wallow in their own misery here on Morchazima together, Adai thought. Hippothoon couldn’t return to even to Atlantis as the council might find him and execute him, as they had his mother. Instead Adai would train the boy and should the boy seek out revenge against Cercyon and the council… then he would be well trained. Aman Tabiz looked at the island. He remembered training Hippothoon on these very shores back in 900,000BC when humanity was still young. He remembered how he had had to expand the building more and more to suit him and his protégé, and further still in the millennia after that. Now the central temple was new since then, but old by now. He would need to give it a new update now that it was 1198BC. Give it a more modern look. And definitely clean away the gigantic spiders that had taken home inside the place, fuelled by the ample amounts of magic stored on the island. He found a few traps had been sprung and, eventually, he found that one of the traps had hit its mark. Some random adventurer, no doubt, had stumbled on the island in search of treasure. Aman, with his newest acquisition for the island, walked towards the building. The Cornucopia that he had stolen from Achelous, with the information from Pirithous, was sprouting all manner of sea creatures in the water’s of the island. Tiny, microscopic, vril-laced plankton sprang to life within the ocean around the island and created a mesmerising diamond-sheen to the sun-baked waters. Algae of all colours, pink and blue and green, grew in the ponds and frogs burst into existence. His quiet island became ever more alive. The dodos now had company, at least, and he imagined his long-lost wife would appreciate the beauty of nature around her gravesite. He leant down and clutched a clump of sand. He had been right all those millennia ago. These gods and their offspring did not use their power with responsibility, and he knew he was justified in his actions. He would do whatever it took to remove the stain of the gods from humanity. Steal or kill. Notes Britt's Commentary "The reference to Uncle Ben, along with his signature line, is from the Spider-ManSpider-Man article, Wikipedia. comic book franchise. The opening line by the hologram drone that Alope Eleusis spouts is a reference to the line spoken by Leia OreganaLeia Oregana article, Wikipedia. as a hologram in Star Wars: A New HopeStar Wars (film) article, Wikipedia.. Some of the characteristics for Cercyon Eleusis is based on the original character, Cercyon of EleusisCercyon of Eleusis article, Wikipedia., from Greek mythologyGreek Mythology article, Wikipedia.. There, EleusisEleusis article, Wikipedia. is the name of his kingdom, but I turned it into his surname. His daughter was AlopeAlope article, Wikipedia. and there he did kill her by burying her alive, for the same crime of having sex (or being raped) by PoseidonPoseidon article, Wikipedia.. In the source material he also tried to kill her son HippothoonHippothoon article, Wikipedia., but herein I deviated by having the boy kept a secret and taken in by Adai Theos. "Antediluvia" is a reference to antediluvianAntediluvian article, Wikipedia. period from ChristianChristianity article, Wikipedia. theology. "This post was created after a great deal of research as I didn't know much about Atlantis or the stories thereof and had to rely chiefly on information from Al Ciao the Writer. Details regarding Atlantis technology and appearance was gleaned from NeS2 Post 1113 by JM the Writer, while some details for Morchazima was also gotten from NeS2 Page 29 where the NeS Heroes visit it in the modern era. I used a lot of details for world-building from these posts. I tried to write Adai as less typically "Thand-like" and certainly less "Tabiz-like", giving him more boistrous charms and engaging banter with Benem. He sees people as actual "people" at this point, whereas later he would have less empathy for them as both Tabiz and Thand. Benem was given a huge amount of new characterisation in this post. His inclusion was thanks to Pan Post 147 wherein Al Ciao the Writer mentioned him by name with Adai Theos, establishing a relationship between them that I could evolve into a friendship. As a whole, this also developed the Boreans further too as it establishes their lack of comprehension at the behaviour of 'flesh' creatures, after this attribute was established, though to a lesser extent, when I first created them for Space Camelot. I also considered plate tectonics when establishing the location of the Atlantean continent and the island of Morchazima, by using a plate tectonics video240 million years ago to 250 million years in the future video, YouTube. . I also took into consideration that the time of 900,000BC may have been a deep glacial periodGlacial Period article, Wikipedia., according to articles on WikipediaWikipedia article, Wikipedia., which meant that the area where Great Britain ought to be attached to Atlantis would be frozen over - also helping to distinguish that the area would be less developed and, therefore, absent Atlantean archeology in the modern era. There was also a minor reference to Morris the Cat when Benem speaks of a cat eating a human, though this was not intended to be the Character of Morris himself." ~ Britt the Writer References External References Category:Post Category:Leg Post